Archive for December, 2010

I was going through the top ten photos that depict moments in history, which was sent to me by a friend and I came across a photo taken by a Vietnamese photographer Nick Ut. The photo was taken in June 1972 of a nine-year-old girl, Kim Phuc, fleeing her village after a napalm attack. The little girl was caught on fire in the attack and had to escape immediately. In the photo running next to her is her older brother and one young brother looking back to the black smoke, and another two [members of] her family are with her and immediately behind her you see all the South Vietnamese armies running along. While she was running she was literally burning alive, all of her clothing was burned off, and her skin was charred. When I look at the girl’s face I am consumed by the intensity of human suffering and despair.

The more I looked at this photo the more I began to think about our society and healthcare. Many people are at a point where are afraid, they are lost and alone, because slowly they are dying rather than living a healthy abundant life. I see many Americans as Kim, the naked girl in the village. To me Kim is the typical sick American, running, scared, and feeling alone. Next to her I see family and friends who are doing there best to support her but they are living in the same fear based model that leaves them afraid of their friend’s health and future as well as their own.

Remember the scenario behind the photo was a napalm attack on the village that caused a level of danger that was so intense even the South Vietnamese armies were fleeing. In this photo, American healthcare is our napalm attack and it is at such a dangerous point that even our medical doctors and big pharma are scared, which are our version of South Vietnames armies. The same human suffering and despair is evident in the average Americans face you see in Kim’s but because the average American is not running naked and burning alive we tend to overlook or not realize the intensity.

This photo really evoked a lot of emotion in me. I literally sat in silence as I reflected on where our society is currently and where it is headed, especially if we continue heading in the downward spiral, which we are moving. As a society if we continue to follow a model that treats sickness rather than promotes wellness we will continue to create thousands of Kim Phucs, individuals who are running in fear from the same system that is our source of help and support.

I researched Kim Phuc, she is living in Canada with her family. In that attack her skin was burned so badly that she under went 17 surgeries. Today she is alive and well in Canada. While her heart may still bear the scars of the napalm attack on her village there are no outward scars to show of that day.

This photo and story is a great reminder that in an instant you can change your story and create a new outcome. Americans don’t have to continue to flee from sickness obtaining scar after scar. With the freedom of choice comes the freedom of health, the freedom to make choices that give life and allow optimal wellness. The shift toward wellness will alter the current “sick” state that the majority of Americans are in and allow them to live the remaining years of their lives in a state of total wellness. While there may still be some internal scars of sickness they are simply that scars and scars are often great reminders of where we have been and allow us to focus on where we are headed. It is time that we stop the attacks, which are occurring more and more frequently on our nation’s healthcare and begin to heal the wounds it has created. We need to unite as chiropractors and create the peace treaty necessary to change the face of this nation’s healthcare.

There is nothing like being together with a group of chiropractors. It’s a completely different vibration than you will feel anywhere else. When you walk into a room filled with chiropractors you immediately feel the love and are almost always greeted with a warm embrace. You always feel welcome and you can just feel the healing energy that abounds from the room. It is amazing to be around so many people who share in your mission and who are purpose driven. It’s great to know you are not alone.

“Professionally lonely” is a phrase my good friend Heath McKinley, D.C. taught me. He told me that he eventually came to a point in his career where he never wanted to be professionally lonely. He always wanted to be a part of something bigger in chiropractic, a bigger network of people from where he could learn, grow, and give. He couldn’t be more right. It is imperative that we surround ourselves with colleagues who can push us and challenge us. It is imperative that we are allowed to be leaders and followers in order to challenge ourselves professionally.

I know that Heath is not the only chiropractor who feels professionally alone in their community. Especially chiropractors in smaller towns where there are a limited number of chiropractors they are accessible to. While the gap is narrowing there are still many towns where varying chiropractic viewpoints, philosophical beliefs, and adjusting techniques separate many chiropractors. As Patrick Gentempo has often said many are circling and shooting inward.

I am going to challenge you with two things and if you choose to accept you may be surprised at how different your new year will be. The first challenge is to interact with your colleagues. Join a group that allows you to get together with fellow chiropractors where you can grow and share together. There are tons of varying groups and there is sure to be one that fulfills your needs. There are philosophy groups such as EPOC, CORE, DCS, New Beginnings, and more. These philosophy groups allow you to hear the hearts of chiropractors and expand your own consciousness. There are many seminar series: CLA Summit, The Masters Circle, Parker Seminars, Epic Seminars, and more. Seminars bring 100’s to 1000’s chiropractors together allowing you to not only grow professionally but to be surrounded in the vibration and energy that a seminar brings. Many chiropractors are sharing their hearts on smaller platforms such as Brad Glowaki and Patrick Gentempo, Timothy Gay, Marc Gottlieb, and Matt Hubbard to name a few. In the more intimate setting you can really get to know the speaker and more easily interact. These are just a few of the options available; I know you will find one for you. I challenge you to find one by the New Year and start 2011 off right!

The second challenge is to unite the chiropractors in your community. I am asking that you find a way to join them together in the name of chiropractic and create a venue so that no chiropractor is professionally lonely. Whether it be grabbing a bite to eat or a drink every other week or holding a small philosophy gathering once a month or taking them with you to one of your new professional events. Whatever you choose I just ask you to work to unite the profession. Because united together we can do so much more.

It is my wish that you adhere to my suggestions and that you choose get more involved in chiropractic and that you begin to bridge gaps and if it is not for your gain then let it be for the gain of the profession. It is my desire that no chiropractor feel professionally lonely and that they have the support necessary to share their gifts and fulfill their purpose. I will leave you with a quote I once in a movie that said, “So now, all alone or not, you gotta walk ahead. Thing to remember is if were all alone, then were all together in that too.”
Love. Laugh. Adjust.

After the weekend in Phoenix at the Marketing Bonanza, listening to all the speakers I sat in awe of the wisdom and love that flowed from each speaker’s mouth, it was as if their hearts had lips. Their words were wise, thought through and compelling. We are truly blessed to be in a profession where love abounds, that is purpose driven, lives are changed, and souls are touched. To the speakers and Brad Glowaki I say, “Thank you! I am blessed to call you colleagues and friends. I am eternally grateful.”

This weekend was my birthday, what a great place to be on your birthday, mist friends, loved ones, with chiropractors! As I listened to each speaker share, I couldn’t help but think, how blessed I was to have been born a chiropractor. I began to reflect on all the lives I have touched and all the lives I have yet to touch. I was born with HUGE shoes to fill and I have every intention of filling them and then getting a new set to fill and continue until EVERYONE knows the power of chiropractic.

Gilles Lamarche said he was not there to offend but to share his heart. That is the intention of this blog not to offend but to share my heart. So, with your permission I will share it with you…if you choose to stop reading here I fully understand and thank you for your honesty, maybe you will come back to this blog later.

Chiropractors, we are at a time where we have two choices: we can step up or continue to coast. It’s your choice no one can make it for you. I can only tell you that I personally am accepting the nudge from God to step up and play at a bigger level and continually set the bar higher for my level of service. Many of you probably think that I already do a lot and I do but a lot is not enough. Is there a limit on enough? Personally, I feel that until EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE gets the importance of chiropractic care I have a lot to do. We have a lot to do.

I know that thousands of chiropractors agree we have so much to do…we are in a place in society where people are hurting; they are hurting emotionally, physically, and mentally because they are subluxated emotionally, physically, and mentally. They are searching to find a solution to get out of the downward spiral they are trapped in, seeking solid ground to stand on. As chiropractors we have the answer we know the solution. BUT, we don’t have the abundance of money or media connections, or, societal power that the medical cartel, Big Pharma, has in this world. Notice I said abundance, I didn’t say we LACK the money, media connections, or societal power. So, the question is are we FULLY USING our resources? Are we playing full out and maximizing our potential?

I know that this weekend I realized that there are so many avenues I have yet to travel. I am not on the radio…YET! I am not on TV…yet! I haven’t written a book…YET! This is just the beginning of what I haven’t done…YET! What is on your list? Are you maximizing all your options to educate? I am open and admit that I have not and I will be sitting down this week with my staff and masterminding on ways we can step up and play big! I urge you to do the same.

Billy DeMoss always says, people are dying and he couldn’t be more right. The worst part is that many have no clue. They are living what they think is a normal life? Because they have no clue that they are actually living an ABNORMAL life. People blindly follow the rest of society in a direction that leads to a life full of sadness. They follow the masses. They have no idea that there is a second option, an option that leads to a life of abundance. We have to tip the scale, we have to shift from masses of people moving down the road of destruction and create a movement down the path of wellness.

Sounds like a HUGE task right? That’s because it is, it’s a HUGE task. But, it’s not an impossible task. We just have to constantly do a little bit more, reach one more person, and raise our level of service. Believe me the drug cartel doesn’t get comfortable and say we have reached enough lives with our poison! They are constantly expanding their marketing, doing more…polluting more. I doubt they have any intention of stopping until every person is on at least one TOXIC chemical, body/mind altering drug! So, why as a chiropractor would you sit back and say, I have save enough, I am content enough? WHY? You wouldn’t…there is no reason and frankly there is no time. So, step up!

My purpose is simple to ignite…two simple words, TO IGNITE. I want to ignite something in people they didn’t know they had and sadly enough…MOST DON’T KNOW THEY HAVE A CHOICE TO LIVE, TO THRIVE, TO FLOURISH!! So, I have no choice. I have to step and serve more and then when I get to the next level, I will step up again, and so on and so on. As a matter of fact I will publicly state that as long as the drug cartel is raising their level I will continue to raise mine. The interesting thing is the motive. We both want to get our message out. I want everyone to know that they MUST live a subluxation free life allowing their nervous system to function free of interference or they will not thrive! Big Pharma wants people to believe the lie that they must have a drug to thrive that their innate can not sustain them without INTERFERENCE! The interesting thing is we both have a mission and a MOTIVE.

Motives are interesting…eventually they surface, eventually the truth is revealed. Big Pharma’s motive is clear MONEY! There is no denying it! They love the money especially since it gives them power. My motive is very different it’s LOVE. Pure and genuine unadulterated love for the expression of life and to me that is power not my power but God’s power he gave us to live our lives full out. So, I will continue to educate and to touch and save more lives. I encourage all chiropractors to join me and as David Jackson said ACT ON IT! Act on your desire to reach and touch more lives with the power of chiropractic! Fulfill your purpose!

So, I will leave you with this…I love you and am asking you today to step it up and take it to the next level and when you get to that level create a new level and just don’t stop until we are a household name. And we hear people call Big Pharma quacks and a cult!

If tomorrow I were gone,
I’d have fulfilled my purpose in my life.
And given my all to educate,
given my all, despite any strife
I’d thank my chiro forefathers,
to be livin a chiro life today.
‘ Cause a life free of subluxation allows nervous system to be free
and that can’t be denied.
And I’m proud to be a chiropractor,
and allowed to live subluxation free.
And I fulfill my purpose each day for the men who died,
that never got to be.
And I proudly stand up,
in an allopathic model and defend my profession today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love innate
The world deserves subluxation free.

From the all powerful controlling brain,
Through the sensory and motor dense brain stem
From nerve to nerve.
The nervous system controls every human part.
And the desire to be healthy lies every American heart,
and its time we stand and educate.
That I’m proud to be a chiropractor,
and allowed to live subluxation free.
And I fulfill my purpose each day for the men who died,
that never got to be.
And I gladly stand up,
in an allopathic model and defend my profession today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love innate
The world deserves subluxation free.

And I’m proud to be a chiropractor,
and allowed to live subluxation free.
And I fulfill my purpose each day for the men who died,
that never got to be.
And I gladly stand up,
in an allopathic model and defend my profession today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love innate
The world deserves subluxation free.